1 AND the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.
34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

1And the men of Ephraim said vnto him, Why hast thou serued vs thus, that thou calledst vs not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharpely.

2And he said vnto them, What haue I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer?

3God hath deliuered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to doe in comparison of you? then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 And Gideon came to Iordan, and passed ouer, hee, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

5And he said vnto the men of Succoth, Giue, I pray you, loaues of bread vnto the people that follow me, for they bee faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hands, that wee should giue bread vnto thine armie?

7And Gideon said, Therfore when the Lord hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I wil teare your flesh with the thornes of the wildernesse, and with briers.

8 And he went vp thence to Penuel, and spake vnto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth had answered him.

9And he spake also vnto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hostes with them, about fifteene thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the East: for there fell an hundred and twentie thousand men that drew sword.

11 And Gideon went vp by the way of them that dwelt in tents, on the East of Nobah, and Iogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

12And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah, and Zalmunna, & discomfited all the host.

13 And Gideon the sonne of Ioash returned from battel before the Sunne was vp,

14And caught a yong man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described vnto him the princes of Succoth and the elders thereof, euen threescore and seuenteene men.

15And he came vnto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did vpbraid me, saying, Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should giue bread vnto thy men that are wearie?

16And hee tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes, and briers, and with them hee taught the men of Succoth.

17And he beat downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.

18 Then said he vnto Zebah and Zalmunna, What maner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they, ech one resembled the children of a king.

19And hee said, They were my brethren, euen the sonnes of my mother: as the Lord liueth, if yee had saued them aliue, I would not slay you.

20And he said vnto Iether his first borne, Up, and slay them: but the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slewe Zebah and Zalmunna, & tooke away the ornaments that were on their camels neckes.

22 Then the men of Israel saide vnto Gideon, Rule thou ouer vs, both thou, and thy sonne, & thy sonnes sonne also: for thou hast deliuered vs from the hand of Midian.

23And Gideon said vnto them, I will not rule ouer you, neither shall my sonne rule ouer you: the Lord shall rule ouer you.

24 And Gideon said vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would giue me euery man the earerings of his pray. For they had golden eare-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.

25And they answered, We will willingly giue them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein, euery man the earerings of his pray.

26And the weight of the golden eare-rings that hee requested, was a thousand and seuen hundred shekels of gold, beside ornaments, and collars, & purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chaines that were about their camels necks.

27And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, and put it in his citie, euen in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it; which thing became a snare vnto Gideon, and to his house.

28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel; so that they lifted vp their heads no more: and the countrey was in quietnesse fourtie yeeres, in the dayes of Gideon.

29 And Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went & dwelt in his owne house.

30And Gideon had threescore and ten sonnes of his body begotten: for he had many wiues.

31And his concubine that was in Shechem, shee also bare him a sonne, whose name he called Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the sonne of Ioash died, in a good olde age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.

33And it came to passe as soone as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned againe, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-Berith their god.

34And the children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God, who had deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies, on euery side:

35Neither shewed they kindnesse to the house of Ierubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel.

I == Judg 12:1 ; 2nd Sam 19:41

 

 

 

 

 

III == Judg 7:24-25 ; Prov 15:1 ; Phil 2:3

 

 

 

 

 

V == Gen 33:17 ; Ps 60:6

 

 

VI == 1st Sam 25:11 ; 1st Kings 20:11

 

VII == Judg 8:16

 

 

 

VIII == Gen 32:30 ; 1st Kings 12:25

 

IX == Judg 8:17 ; 1st Kings 22:27

X == Judg 7:12 ; 20:2 , 15 , 17 , 25 ; 2nd Kings 3:26

 

 

XI == Num 32:35 , 42 ; Judg 18:27 ; 1st Thess 5:3

 

XII == Ps 83:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Judg 8:6

 

 

 

 

XVI == Judg 8:7

 

 

XVII == Judg 8:9 ; 1st Kings 12:25

XVIII == Judg 4:6 ; Ps 89:12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Ps 83:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == 1st Sam 8:7 ; 10:19 ; 12:12

 

XXIV == Gen 25:13 ; 37:25 , 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVII == Deut 7:16 ; Judg 6:24 ; 17:5 ; Ps 106:39

 

XXVIII == Judg 5:31

 

 

 

 

XXX == Judg 9:2 , 5

XXXI == Judg 9:1

 

XXXII== Gen 25:8 ; Judg 6:24 ; 8:27 ; Job 5:26

 

XXXIII == Judg 2:17 , 19 ; 9:4 , 46

 

XXXIV == Ps 73:11 , 42 ; 106:13 , 21

XXXV == Judg 9:16-18 ; Eccl 9:14-15

 

 

 

 

1 But the Ephraimites said to him, "What have you done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they quarreled bitterly with him.

2 "What have I accomplished now in comparison with you?" he answered them. "Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 Into your power God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided.

4 When Gideon reached the Jordan and crossed it with his three hundred men, they were exhausted and famished.

5 So he said to the men of Succoth, "Will you give my followers some loaves of bread? They are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."

6 But the princes of Succoth replied, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give food to your army?"

7 Gideon said, "Very well; when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, I will grind your flesh in with the thorns and briers of the desert."

8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request of them, but the men of Penuel answered him as had the men of Succoth.

9 So to the men of Penuel, too, he said, "When I return in triumph, I will demolish this tower."

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their force of about fifteen thousand men; these were all who were left of the whole Kedemite army, a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen having fallen.

11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp when it felt secure.

12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, captive, throwing the entire army into panic.

13 Then Gideon, son of Joash, returned from battle by the pass of Heres.

14 He captured a young man of Succoth, who upon being questioned listed for him the seventy-seven princes and elders of Succoth.

15 So he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom you taunted me, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give food to your weary followers?'"

16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns and briers of the desert, and ground these men of Succoth into them.

17 He also demolished the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where now are the men you killed at Tabor?" "They all resembled you," they replied. "They appeared to be princes."

19 "They were my brothers, my mother's sons," he said. "As the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I should not kill you."

20 Then he said to his first-born, Jether, "Go, kill them." Since Jether was still a boy, he was afraid and did not draw his sword.

21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, kill us yourself, for a man's strength is like the man." So Gideon stepped forward and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.

22 The Israelites then said to Gideon, "Rule over us - you, your son, and your son's son - for you rescued us from the power of Midian."

23 But Gideon answered them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The LORD must rule over you."

24 Gideon went on to say, "I should like to make a request of you. Will each of you give me a ring from his booty?" (For being Ishmaelites, the enemy had gold rings.)

25 "We will gladly give them," they replied, and spread out a cloak into which everyone threw a ring from his booty.

26 The gold rings that he requested weighed seventeen hundred gold shekels, in addition to the crescents and pendants, the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the trappings that were on the necks of their camels.

27 Gideon made an ephod out of the gold and placed it in his city Ophrah. However, all Israel paid idolatrous homage to it there, and caused the ruin of Gideon and his family.

28 Thus was Midian brought into subjection by the Israelites; no longer did they hold their heads high. And the land had rest for forty years, during the lifetime of Gideon.

29 Then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went back home to stay.

30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his direct descendants, for he had many wives.

31 His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech.

32 At a good old age Gideon, son of Joash, died and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 But after Gideon was dead, the Israelites again abandoned themselves to the Baals, making Baal of Berith their god

34 and forgetting the LORD, their God, who had delivered them from the power of their enemies all around them.

35 Nor were they grateful to the family of Jerubbaal (Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.

v 1. Ephraim was easily offended, see Jud. 12:1. They wanted spoils and were unreasonably jealous for not being in the first hurried call with those who were closer.

v 2,3. Gideon had to deal with that problem before continuing the Proust, but he practiced Prov. 15:1, by using a soft answer to turn away wrath. He gave Ephraim credit for a greater victory in capturing two great leaders compared to the initial rout begun by his own family.

v 4,5. Exhausted but eager to pursue two more kings, this was  reasonable.

 

 

 

v 6,7. It was shameful of Gad to refuse aid, but they probably thought Gideon didn’t stand a chance with only 300 tired men, and the Midianites might retaliate. Succoth, or booths, is where Jacob set up sheep pens, my notes on Gen. 33:17. Gideon promised to use the old eastern torture of heaping thorn  bushes over naked bodies and dragging a sledge over them, usually till they died.

v 8,9. Peniel is where Jacob wrestled the angel, Gen. 32:30,31. These people of Gad were equally inconsiderate and are promised their security tower’s destruction.

 

v 10-12. The two king’s 15,000 men thought they were in safe camp, but  Gideon surprise attacked and killed them all and had wiped out the 120,000 man army. The kings had been retained as captives to show the men of Succoth and Peniel.

 

 

 

v 13. This is better translated “by way of the sun hills”, or the ascent of Heres.

v 14-17. After displaying the kings before the 77 princes and elders of Succoth, he did to them as he said, and also destroyed the Peniel tower and men of the city.

 

 

 

 

v 18-21. Now Gideon questioned the kings and determined that they had slain his brothers, probably on a previous raid. He wanted to embarrass them by being killed by a youth, but his young son was fearful of doing it, so Gideon killed them and removed the camel ornaments. (It is still custom to adorn camels in a fancy way.

 

 

 

 

 

v 22,23. The people wanted to set up a dynasty of rule by Gideon’s family, but he wisely insisted that the Lord should be their ruler, He won the victories.

 

 

v 24--27. These Midianites were Ishmaelites, descendants of Abraham and Keturah. This should clarify the confusion some people have over Gen 37: 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchant men; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites. Gideon probably meant only good, not an intrusion into the priests office as some feel, when he made the ephod for his use as a civil magistrate, just as David did, 1 Chron. 15:27. However it began to take on spiritual significance as an object of worship, just as Moses’ brazen serpent, which Hezekiah finally had destroyed, 1 Ki. 18:4.  We see similarities today in crucifixes, wafers. and even in church buildings.

 

 

v 28-31. There was 40 years of peace both before and after the 7 years of Midian oppression. After this, judges bring some deliverance, but Israel becomes more corrupt and fails to achieve real peace. Though it was common for rulers to have more than one wife, it is not to Gideon’s credit that he had 70 sons from his many wives, or that he had a concubine over in Shechem. Her son will be a trouble maker in chap. 9.

 

 

 

 

v 33-35. People are fickle, and though they asked for a Gideon dynasty, v 22, after his death they turned immediately to false gods, turned from God and had no regard for Gideon’s family.